Objectification Of Women

The superiority men assume over women paves an imbalance on social encounters and the way women are treated. The stereotypical roles men and women are meant to follow has allowed several unjust issues of sexual wrongdoings to remain changeless for years. The archetype that men must be strong, successful and powerful idols has brought the ideals of women to be the complete opposite delicate, dependent, and loving. Although the characteristics of the manhood and womanhood are harmless and somewhat realistic, they have evolved this inequality in the way women are treated. Objectification is treating someone as an object and taking ownership over that person to carry out sexual desires. Men are treating women as if they can be objectified which

is presuming the idea that men can do whatever they desire without any consequences or misdeed. In a PSA commercial, “Objectification of Women,” the myth that women are on display for men to carry out any sexual desires disproves that men can treat women however they wish. Women should be equally treated just as men are without the mistreatment aroused by men. Women should not be touched by men just because they want to, women own their body and unless with consent men should not surmise the idea that women want the same sexual encounters. The objectification of women is the outlining reason sexual harassment, the unbalance of social status, and the dehumanizing roles advertisements use to display women has existed due to sexual desires arrayed by men.
In the PSA advertisement, the men are trying to take ownership of specific women as they stand on display with beatings on their body and depressed facial expressions not wanting any sexual encounters to be provoked. The women stand wearing lingerie while the men walk around analyzing their body figures suggesting sexual interests, then one of the men expresses, “Well I would take this one home if I could” (PSA Commercial). The expression objectifies the woman to be portrayed as a decoration piece of fine art the man can use at home. The men in the advertisement give off the impression they can pick and choose whichever woman they want if the woman’s physical appearance meets their standards. However, by no means should someone’s physical appearance justify taking ownership over a person. It is unclear to why men think it’s right to take ownership of women, but it is a common issue faced in society which leads to the mistreatment and sexual harassment women face. Similarly, Jean Kilbourne a professor on how women are perceived through advertising and author of an essay, “Two Ways A Woman Can Get Hurt” illustrates, “Turning a human into a thing, an object, is almost always the first step toward justifying violence against that person” (Kilbourne 499). In domestic violence cases where women are mistreated, men see no wrong in treating women as objects because their feelings and emotions are ignored. If there aren’t consequences for unjust doings, people see no wrong. Therefore, issues dealing with men objectifying the opposite gender concludes to why the injustice of women has remained constant.
The men in the commercial are dressed professionally and are walking around the women as if they are superior and can have full control over any woman they wish.

Men think they are justified in their violent actions, therefore, the appearance of women impacts the way they view and treat them. Despite the black eyes and bruises on all the women's bodies, the men are fantasizing all the sexual allures with the women. An Indian man with an accent admires the appearance of one of the woman and says, “Well this could still take a beating and run smoothly” meaning the woman is capable of being abused and will remain strong and emotionless (PSA Commercial). The message of the advertisement is trying to convey men see no wrong in domestic abuse and the continuation of violence justifies to why men treat women as objects. The women’s feelings and emotions are not impacted towards the way men approach them. An object can be used however one wishes without any instruction or specific way of handling, but when women are treated in this manner their pain and emotions are disguised and have no matter. Similarly, Rebecca Solnit a feminist and author who has written many books devoted to changing the way women are treated addresses the violence received by women in a novel “The Longest War” as she claims, “Violence doesn’t have a race, a color, a religion, or a nationality, but it does have a gender” (Solnit 523). Solnit’s statement is supported in the PSA commercial where the women are

seen targeted for domestic abuse and unwanted sexual encounters, whereas the men are seen without any physical markings or facial expressions of distress. There is too much abuse received by women; men don’t realize the stress women feel in society to feel protected and safe without any harassment or unwanted sexual encounters. Women cannot prevent men from impeding their personal space even if women stand with signs stating “Please Do Not Touch Display” as seen in the advertisement. Men are still going to carry out their wrongful acts because they feel entitled and dominant over women.
The women in the advertisement are used to display dehumanizing roles as they stand on display like mannequins without feelings or emotions.

The women are physically abused, yet, they are still on display to be viewed by men. The background music in the commercial describes the women's agonizing emotions as the slow, dispiriting song sings “You are my biggest reason of why I have capsized” as the men continue to walk around in fascination. The man in the advertisement walks up the woman addressing her, “Aren't you a sexy little thing, huh?” The roles of the women are not depicted as humans but instead as a “thing” with selfless sensations. The stereotypical roles of women are never seen as strong and independent but rather weak and delicate, incapable of defending themselves. Comparatively, in an article “Two Ways A Woman Can Get Hurt” Kilbourne implies advertisements are manipulating how women want to be portrayed: “The deeply held belief all women, (...) are really temptresses in disguise, nymphets, sexually insatiable and seductive, conveniently transfers all blame and responsibility onto women” (Kilbourne 504). The way women are depicted in advertisements makes it seem women want to be perceived in a sexual way based on their appearance. Based on Kilbourne statement it contradicts the way women want to be represented, just as in the PSA advertisement, women do not have a voice until wrongdoings are preceded. Transferring all blame to women would agree that women are

responsible for rape, sexual harassment, and all other unjust actions accountable from men. Women should not be misrepresented from their ideals with dehumanizing roles just so companies can make profit from the male publicity. All individuals should be able to embody their own values of how they want to be viewed without being degraded of their roles in which they live by.